SMART-MD, other rail unions reach tentative agreement with Amtrak

SMART Mechanical Department General Committee 2 General Chairman John McCloskey announced Jan. 8 that a tentative agreement with Amtrak has been reached. SMART-MD and coalition partners Transportation Communications Union, National Conference of Firemen and Oilers/SEIU, International Association of Machinists, International Brotherhood of Boiler Makers, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the Transport Workers Union of America, which represents 57% of all Amtrak employees, reached this tentative agreement.
On Wednesday and Thursday, January 4^th and 5^th, the above-mentioned rail unions met in Washington, D.C., with Amtrak representatives and the coalition unanimously endorsing the tentative agreement. The tentative agreement will be rolled out to SMART-MD membership for ratification in the coming weeks. Upon ratification, the membership would receive an immediate 4.25% wage increase followed by an additional 2.75% on July 1, 2018. On July 1, 2019, membership shall receive another 3% increase followed by two further increases of 3.75% in July 2020 and 2021 for a compounded increase of 18.9%. Active employed members along with members who have subsequently retired or died are entitled to full retroactive pay.
If members ratify the tentative agreement, starting on Jan. 1, 2018, members’ Health and Welfare monthly premium would be frozen at $228 for the life of the contract that expires on December 31, 2021, with no retroactive H&W payments prior to January 2018.
General Chairman John McCloskey stated, “This agreement provides our members with real wage increases with full retroactive pay, and freezes the monthly Health and Welfare contributions for the entire term of the agreement. I want to thank my Local Chairmen and members for their support throughout this process.”